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Mission Carlsbad to begin 10th year of helping others

By Natalie Gross ngross@currentargus.com

Posted:
06/02/2013 07:52:43 AM MDT

Mission Carlsbad volunteers conducted a number of home repairs in 2012. (Current-Argus file photo)

For 10 years, a group of local churches has been in the business of helping others with home repair needs. The group known as Mission Carlsbad will be kicking off a week of heavy-duty construction work with a reflective look Heavenward during a time of worship at the Black River campground Sunday.

Charlie Stevens, director of family ministries and missions at First United Methodist Church, said Mission Carlsbad is the most unique thing he's ever been a part of in his 14 years of church ministry. He has been involved with the organization since the summer of 2009.

For a week each summer, Mission Carlsbad provides free home repairs for low-income or disabled residents.

This year, Stevens said a group of more than 200 volunteers - comprised of teenagers and adults - will be involved in repairing everything from roofing to wheelchair ramps on houses in Carlsbad, Otis and Loving.

They will start with 15 homes and will work on at least 17 before the week is over, Stevens said.

Stevens explained the purpose of Mission Carlsbad to be an opportunity for teenagers of the various church youth groups to go on a mission trip in their own community.

"It's about loving your neighbor. I love the fact that the students get the idea of understanding that it's about being a Christian and following Jesus Christ. Getting the opportunity to work with other churches and other denominations with the same goal - it's what Christ intended the church to be," Stevens said.

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And while mission trips to foreign countries are still full of great opportunities to help people in need, Stevens said Mission Carlsbad is really about getting the teenagers to understand that God's message of love needs to be shared at home too.

The churches participating in Mission Carlsbad this year - First United Methodist Church, First Baptist Church, Word of Life Church, Oasis Christian Fellowship, Blodgett Street Baptist Church and Happy Valley Baptist Church, of Carlsbad, and First Methodist Church of Seminole, Texas - will meet for a joint praise and worship service around 7:30 p.m. Sunday at the campground near Black River on Old Cavern Highway.

This year's guest speaker for Sunday evening is Kyle Pierce from Texas, Stevens said, and he will also be speaking at the daily worship services for Mission Carlsbad at 4:45 p.m. Monday through Friday.

On Monday, Pierce will be joined by traveling Christian band Burgundy Road.